Someone I know who loved her cat in a way that I don’t understand, and I love cats, insisted on showing me a picture of the expensive, elaborate silk-lined coffin she got for her cat with the dead cat lying in it. I… yeah.

I hear what you’re saying and I’m not saying you were wrong in your usage. The issue I think most women (including me) have is when men refer to us as “females” while not referring to themselves as “males” is that it makes us feel like they view us as not fully human, or like a lesser animal. Problematic people are often trying to feel superior to others, whether via race, class, religion, age, etc etc, and certainly speciesism (is that a word? Autocorrect thinks so) can play a role.

That’s still a bit different than saying “males” or “females.” Using those words as nouns makes it feel like a nature documentary narration.

Flossing: pretty good. I occasionally forget but most of the time I realize it pretty fast because my teeth feel…thick or something.

Cutting out Diet Coke: quite good. I was super disciplined for about four weeks before I had one, in part to see how bad the cravings would be afterward. It was okay, but at the same time I could tell how easily it would be to become addicted again. Have only had it one other time (yesterday) but I’m sick so I’m giving myself a pass.